The Kind-Hearted Smart Aleck

After the Oakland Athletics traded slugger Yoenis Cespedes to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for ace Jon Lester while most ESPN talking heads were lauding the move, I immediately criticized it, as I posted this blog on August 1st - http://thekind-heartedsmartaleck.blogspot.com/2014/08/why-detroits-trade-was-better-than.html. In the writing, I also said that I felt the Detroit Tigers trading Austin Jackson and Drew Smyly for Cy Young award winner David Price would wind up being a better move than Oakland's. On August 1st, the Oakland Athletics had the best record in the Major Leagues at 66-42 (.611). They were a game up on the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the American League West division. The Detroit Tigers, meanwhile, were 59-47 (.557) and four games ahead of Kansas City in the AL Central. Fast-forward two months and Oakland finished 88-74 (.543) and ten games behind the Angels. Detroit finished 90-72 (.556) and a game ahead of Kansas City. The Athletics then lost to the Ro...

- While many baseball analysts lauded the move made by the Oakland Athletics in acquiring pitcher Jon Lester from the Boston Red Sox while giving up slugger Yoenis Cespedes, I thought it could wind up costing them come playoff time. While we're still a ways away from the playoffs, Oakland has lost five straight, seven out of ten, and now find themselves percentage points (well, point) behind the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the American League West. Meanwhile, Cespedes hit three home runs for the Red Sox last week. Also, while I said I thought Detroit made the better trade in acquiring David Price from Tampa Bay and they've struggled of late as well, I think they have a bit of a better excuse for their recent struggles than Oakland. When two of your starting pitchers and a set-up man all go down in the same week (Anibal Sanchez, Justin Verlander, and Joakim Soria), that's going to take a toll on any human team (as opposed to the robot team from the future film, The Matr...